First Confession

by Montserrat Fontes

Mexican-American writer Fontes tells a startling tale of the clashes between men and women, rich and poor, Mexican and American in this dark story of life just south of the Texas border. Two spoiled children, the willful Andrea and her cousin Victor, take up spying and stealing when they discover where the town hooker hides her money. Their theft tragically unleashes a series of events, among them murder and suicide.

Genres: Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Montserrat Fontes is a distinguished writer whose first novel, First Confession, has been widely praised as a major contribution to Chicana fiction. Her work is often taught in the CSLA U.S. Ethnic Literature course. Her second novel, Dreams of the Centaur, is currently being translated into German and French.

Reviews

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Montserrat Fontes’ “First Communion” is narrated by Andrea, a woman reflecting on her life as a nine year old girl in a town just south of the Texas-Mexico border. The young Andrea lives a protected life—her father is a manager, her mother is American—and she grows up without any sense of the consequences of her actions. When she is finally exposed to the poverty outside her home, church and the club to which the local wealthy belong, it shocks her. She and her sad cousin Victor rob and finally expose the town prostitute with disastrous impact, not just for the woman but for her own family. Some of those consequences seem over-determined – an early murder lacks credibility, and the linkage to Victor’s adult fate seems forced rather than the intended shock. But Fontes’ portrait of the town’s impenetrable class differences, and the effects of Andrea’s blindness to them, gives “First Communion” weight and some power despite the implausibilities, leavened some by the appearance, late in the novel, of Andrea’s hilarious American grandmother.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a hard read. A selfish, self-absorbed child sets in motion a sequence of events that spins out of control, destroying lives in an ever-widening scope. The main character is not at all likable, but is written vividly and just sympathetically enough that her bewilderment and pain are palpable. A fascinating, bitter story about the inability (both as children and also as adults) to process other peoples' inner anguish, our refusal to grant them a full inner life and relinquish the feeling that we're the center of the universe, and the destruction that can cause.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are so many reasons to despise this book. The girl protagonist, Andrea, I swear I would have killed her many times. Not all of its storylines are completed or solved and the ending was tooooooo much. However and despite all of this I have ENJOYED hugely reading this novel. Don't ask me why but I have drowned into these pages and I have the feeling that I'm going to need some time to come out to the surface again.
It has been terribly fantastic.

[Larissa Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorate books. Like a Mexican version of "To Kill a Mocking Bird".

[Ana TM · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novel was engaging and repulsive at the same time -I was enjoying the reading but also asking myself how I could like something so twisted and dark. I think it was a great decission narrrating the story through the eyes of a child because it gave it a sense of innocence and hopefulness that the plot by itself lacks. However, I did not like the ending at all, as I think it was to fast and disconnected from the rest of the story. The idea was not bad, but I think the author should have given more time to develop those aspects instead of just dedicating a chapter to them.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that this book gives a lot of detail about life, and that there is a lot of life lessons that you learn from. Also, the author narrative Andrea really good.

[Delicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get this as an assigned reading while in high school. It is a book that has stayed with me throughout adulthood. The author came to speak to my class and after meeting her I loved the book even more.

The story of a young woman who doesnt realize how inbetween worlds she really is. Mixed race and wealthy growing up in a border town where the stark reality of poverty carries throughout. It might be heavy for the younger crowd but I read it very young and I dont think it did anything but build my appreciation for great books.

Its been 15 years since I first read the book and I still find myself comparing other books to it.

[Hetalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read this for a high school assignment. It was not the most interesting book I have read, though it may be because I prefer fiction and fantasy genres. Others have deemed this 'the best book [they] have ever read', among other things, and though I will agree It was well written and quite riveting at some points, it wasn't one that I just 'couldn't put down'. It was a good first novel for Fontes, but reading it, I can see why it wasn't a bestselling book. A retelling of a fateful summer from a child's point of view. The end was the best part, though. A climax of all of Andrea's life. It was a bit sad. But not a book I would recommend to just anyone.

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is one of my all time favorite. In First Confession the ideas and voice of a child herself is used to narrate the story. Andrea, the main character, discusses the struggle of being part of a wealthy prominent family right after the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo took place. The story takes place right on the border of Texas. This book clashes the social classes. Andrea and her friend Victor witness compromising situations and lose their childhood and innocence because of it.

[Diego Munoz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. I agree with the other readers that it is addictive. The chapters are relatively short, and I often wanted to finish another chapter before doing something else.
Its amazing how Fontes captured life as a young, spoiled, confused child. I could related to a lot of the things she did.
One of the best books that i have read in the last 10 years.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the work of Montserrat Fontes, greatly in this book. She does an amazing job narrating from the perspective of Andrea. She shows the life on the other side of the border and the differentiation between social classes. I really enjoyed how her character were able to relate to my life, in one way or another.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the few books I can say I was shocked, enthralled, and mesmorized by. The story of an affluent family living on the Mexican side of the border, with plenty of intrigue; First Confession is a coming of age tale with the brutal infusion of good vs. evil and other moral necessities.

[DeliaC · Rating 5 out of 5]

she was my high school english teacher, mentor and really formed everything i think about literature and writing. this was a really good debut for her - detailed, funny, and dark.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

obscure, and difficult to find, but this is one novel that went tragically undiscovered. Simply beautiful, passionate, and graphically realistic.

[Rafael Cardenas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best easy read on my list. You won't want to put it down.

[Annalisa]

This book was great, a little disturbing at times but overall awesome. You may not enjoy it if you didn't go to Catholic school.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a hard back edition of this (GR librarians). I have one signed by the author (I used to work with her sister).